2017 Ford Figo Sports Edition Review
Car Tested: 2017 Ford Figo Sports Edition; Road Test No. 813; Test Location: Ahmedabad
Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 7.58 – 8.80 lakhs
The Ford Figo gets sportier and more fun to drive with the Sports Edition
Ford had launched the new generation Figo and the Figo Aspire in 2015 and now the automaker brought back the S badge that we saw on the older Fiesta. The Sports Edition of the Figo and Figo Aspire have been launched in India and we had a go in the Figo Sports diesel in the vibrant state of Gujarat to check out what more it offers over the regular Figo.
Motor Quest: Ford cars have always been known as fun to drive in nature and they are a favourite amongst enthusiasts.
The exteriors of the Figo S gets sporty black elements
Exteriors – The exteriors get some enhancements like a black roof, black mirrors, body graphics, 15-inch black alloys and a rear spoiler. It also gets a sporty looking honeycomb grille and smoked headlamps. These tweaks are not too major but they do make the car look sportier and racy. The dual tone colour scheme also makes the car look more dynamic. No changes have been made to the body panels.
Interiors get all-black theme along with red stitching
Interiors – The layout of the interiors is identical to the regular Figo. The dashboard features an all-black colour theme along with piano black inserts on the steering wheel. Since the Sports Edition is based on the Titanium trim, it gets the MyFord Dock system and only 2 airbags, along with ABS, EBD and EPAS. You get other features like automatic climate control, MID on the instrument cluster, steering mounted controls and remote unlocking. The seats, gear lever cover and steering wheel cover come with red stitching.
There are no changes under the hood of the Figo Sports Edition
Performance – No changes have been made to the engines of the Figo. The Sports Edition is offered with the same 1.2-litre petrol and 1.5-litre diesel engine. The 1.5-litre petrol engine with AT isn’t offered. The 1.2-litre petrol engine churns out 88 HP at 6300 RPM and 112 Nm at 4000 RPM. The engine has decent performance in the city but it feels underpowered on the highways. Low-end power delivery could have been slightly better too. The 1.5-litre TDCI mill produces 100 HP at 3750 RPM and 215 Nm at 1750-3000 RPM. The engine has splendid performance, turbo lag is well-contained and power delivery is linear and strong at 1600-4000 RPM.
The diesel powered Figo is a pocket rocket
The diesel engine is peppy and churns out good fuel efficiency
Both the engines are mated to a smooth shifting 5-speed manual gearbox and the clutch is fairly light. The weight of the Sports edition has increased by around 20 kgs compared to the regular Figo but despite the additional weight, there is no noticeable difference in the performance of the diesel engine. The power to weight ratio is still very good and that’s what makes the Figo a good performer. However, fuel efficiency on the petrol engine has dropped from 18.16 km/l to 18.12 km/l while for the diesel engine it has dropped from 25.83 km/l to 24.29 km/l.
The suspension has been stiffened a bit to offer better handling
Driving Dynamics – Ford has tweaked the suspension of the Figo for this edition. It comes with a stiffer setting now and the ride height has been lowered. You also get meatier 195/55/15 tyres which offer better grip than the tyres on the regular Figo. Thanks to the revised suspension settings, the Figo feels more composed and stable on straights as well as corners. It feels eager to dive in corners too. The ride is also very pliant. The steering is sharp and offers decent feel, it is also light at city speeds. The brakes also do a very good job and the Figo is definitely an engaging car to drive.
The Figo Sports Edition is quite an appealing hatch to buy
Verdict – The changes on the Figo Sports Edition are mainly to the interiors and exteriors while the suspension changes have made the car more fun. We have always stated that the Figo is a fun to drive car offered as a value for money proposition and there is no denying to this fact. But, the Sports Edition loses out on some features that are offered in the regular Figo in the Titanium Plus trim, so there’s a trade-off between a higher variant with more features or a lower variant with sporty additions and that’s what the buyer needs to think and decide, since the Sports Edition and the Titanium Plus cost almost the same on the road.
The mild changes have made the Figo more fun and sporty
What’s Cool
* Looks sportier with the dual tone colour theme
* All black interiors look cool
* Diesel engine is a super performer
* Handling and ride are well sorted
What’s Not So Cool
* Loses out on features offered on the Titanium Plus trim
Alternatives: Maruti Baleno RS, Volkswagen Polo, Fiat Punto Evo
Overall a desirable package for performance enthusiasts
Further Reading –
Ford Figo Sports Video Review
Ford Figo Diesel Long Term Review
Ford Figo Review
Ford Figo vs Maruti Swift vs Hyundai Grand i10 vs Tata Bolt – Comparison Video
Ford Figo vs Maruti Swift vs Hyundai Grand i10 vs Tata Bolt – Shootout
Ford Figo DCT vs Honda Jazz CVT vs Volkswagen Polo GT TSI – Shootout